Gave it a few hours to calm down. Didn't work. Felt compelled to email the Club.

You should read your letter to GS again....

I think your letter would be smart-arse and offensive to the person who it was addressed to.

I don't see how you can be offended by receiving a resonse which is similar to what you sent out.

That is my opinion.

 

RE: You should read your letter to GS again....

I've read it again several times since sending it.

It think it is a critical letter, giving an honest opinion of how I, as a supporter, felt about a bad (IMO) management decision. Please point out the bits you think are 'smart-arsed' and 'offensive'.

 

RE: Interestingly

Part of me feels the same but, having received this reply, another part of me thinks 'what's the point in even bothering?'

 

I have no axe to grind, here.....

I would react badly if I received a letter like this.

Was it your intention to rub salt into the wounds of all Barnsley Supporters with today’s announcement of Simon Davey as the new manager? If so, congratulations!

(smart-arse and offensive)


Less than 24 hours after a spineless, inept, passionless display (of which 3 out of the last 4 games would fall into the same category), during which our new manager played a left-back in central midfield and a right-back at left-back for some inexplicable reason, you then announce his appointment into the full-time role!



Exactly what was it about yesterday’s performance that convinced you he was the man for the job? Perhaps the tactical naivety, the inability to influence the game from the touchline or maybe the fact that we only lost 3-0 at home? (smart-arse and offensive)



I am utterly disgusted that you have maintained a charade over the past few weeks that you actually had ambition for the Club, (offensive) when in reality you have just removed someone from the management team, promoted an inexperienced person from within and left us in a worse position staff-wise than before the previous manager was removed. We have waited patiently over the past 8 games for you to put into place the promised experienced and ambitious manager to give us a chance of maintaining our league status. Instead, you have taken the cheap option, (offensive) as many suspected would be the case, and have chosen the worst possible time to make the announcement, when many fans are still hurting from the inept display against local rivals yesterday.

As a season ticket holder who makes 300 mile round trips to attend games I feel utterly betrayed by this announcement. As usual, we supporters will have no option but to ‘grin and bear it’ as we see yet another appalling piece of mis-management by the Club that has become so familiar in recent years. Once again the same positive soundbites have been given, and have been proved to be utterly hollow in nature.


fookit.... I'm not doing 'O' level English, here, and I'm not good at editing text and putting in colours and italics..... my opinion is that your letter is offensive and smart-arse.

 

I have no axe to grind, here.....

I would react badly if I received a letter like this.

Was it your intention to rub salt into the wounds of all Barnsley Supporters with today’s announcement of Simon Davey as the new manager? If so, congratulations!

(smart-arse and offensive)


Less than 24 hours after a spineless, inept, passionless display (of which 3 out of the last 4 games would fall into the same category), during which our new manager played a left-back in central midfield and a right-back at left-back for some inexplicable reason, you then announce his appointment into the full-time role!



Exactly what was it about yesterday’s performance that convinced you he was the man for the job? Perhaps the tactical naivety, the inability to influence the game from the touchline or maybe the fact that we only lost 3-0 at home? (smart-arse and offensive)



I am utterly disgusted that you have maintained a charade over the past few weeks that you actually had ambition for the Club, (offensive) when in reality you have just removed someone from the management team, promoted an inexperienced person from within and left us in a worse position staff-wise than before the previous manager was removed. We have waited patiently over the past 8 games for you to put into place the promised experienced and ambitious manager to give us a chance of maintaining our league status. Instead, you have taken the cheap option, (offensive) as many suspected would be the case, and have chosen the worst possible time to make the announcement, when many fans are still hurting from the inept display against local rivals yesterday.

As a season ticket holder who makes 300 mile round trips to attend games I feel utterly betrayed by this announcement. As usual, we supporters will have no option but to ‘grin and bear it’ as we see yet another appalling piece of mis-management by the Club that has become so familiar in recent years. Once again the same positive soundbites have been given, and have been proved to be utterly hollow in nature.


fookit.... I'm not doing 'O' level English, here, and I'm not good at editing text and putting in colours and italics..... my opinion is that your letter is offensive and smart-arse.

 

Thing is Micky

People in positions of authority/responsibility get 'smart arse and offensive' letters/e-mails/complaints every day - reason being is that most of the complaints are from a position of ignorance - ie the complainer doesn't have the benefit of all the facts behind the decision or whatever that they are complaining about.</p>

It's how you handle that complaint that is the key. Every complaint is an opportunity to get someone on side - turn them into a happy customer. Being defensive and aggresive - and I'm talking in general terms here not with regard to correspondence between Sherriff and BFC because we haven't seen BFC's reply - does not help your cause.</p>

 

The response in full (typed verbatim, including any typos)

Dear …

I refer to your original email of 31st December and your subsequent one of 2nd January which enclosed your address.

As I have explained to the point of boredom, when Andy left this club he had managed it this season for 18 games, achieving 14 points which equates to 0.833 points per game. If you multiply that by 46 (that is the number of games in a season) that would result in 37 points and certain relegation. Clearly we had to take action.

In the short term whilst we were appraising the manager selections, Simon Davey was in charge for seven games and gained 11 points for us. That equates to 1.57 points per game which is almost twice what was being achieved under Andy Ritchie. Indeed over 46 games it is almost promotion form. Therefore, on 29th December (the day before our match with SWFC) the Board decided to appoint Simon as manager. This was not only because of his admirable point record, but because of his whole approach to the job, including his training methods, his player discipline, his assessment of the opposition etc etc and I must tell you that we believe that Simon Davey is probably the best replacement.

Some of the others of course were experienced but all of them and as I am sure you will appreciate, seem to have as many failings as successes in their career, so it is not an easy decision to make.

The majority of our fans were angry that we lost to SWFC and I share that disappointment but you have to admit they were not a bad side as their track record over the last ten or so games proves.

We did not maintain a charade as you suggest and in fact we have far more ambition than you could every imagine so it is quite unreasonable for someone like you to be this critical.

I appreciate that you are a loyal fan, particularly one who drives huge distances to watch and I am sorry that you feel betrayed but please be assured that all of us on the Board, together with Patrick Cryne put a great deal into this club have turned it round massively in the last two years.

Two years ago I became Chairman to sort out the mess left by Ridsdale and we sitting on a £3.65 million annual loss and that in the very short space of two years has been reduced to £186,000. That has been achieved by a massive amount of hard work and commercial skill and of course Patrick’s financial support has been crucial. None of us are paid for what we do and do not expect to be, and I must tell you that I have been a supporter of Barnsley Football Club since 1946 so we do have the ambition and we do love this club and I really do resent some of the comments made by people like you.

In addition to myself, my wife and two of my three sons have been season ticket holders for many years so our commitment and loyalty to this club cannot be questioned and why on earth people who are outside the game believe that they know best is astonishing in the least.

Yours sincerely

Gordon Shepherd
Chairman

 

To be fair

I think that's a decent letter - could have done without the 'people like you' phrase though imho.

 

I think GS has shown restraint and cool-headedness

He might have responded to that letter with a letter bomb. Or at least, anthrax powder.

anyway..... I am not up on my back legs about this.... I'm off ter bed. It's late. g'night.

 

GS has a thankless task. nt

 

RE: To be fair

Has the £3.65m annual loss been reduced mainly due to PC loaning more?

 

'someone like you' 'I have explained to the point of boredom' F*CK ME

14 / 18 = 0.833

0.833 x 46 = 37

7 / 11 = 1.57

1.57 x 46 = Promotion

FOOTBALL IS THAT SIMPLE

NEXT MANAGER SHOULD BE

 

i'd only have issue with this bit..

"why on earth people who are outside the game believe that they know best is astonishing in the least. "

Gordon Shepherd has been "in" football, to the best of my knowledge, for two years. I would have bet that if you'd stuck ME in that boardroom and told me to cut costs I could have achieved it. I've had to do it before, and I'll probably have to do it again. It's not nice work being in an environment where you have to make tough, and potentially unpopular, decisions as I well know.

I find the above quote to be really bloody patronising, you might NOT know best but that's only because you haven't been given the facts.

 

"People Outside the Game" - Glad to see that's what Shepherd thinks paying fans are! nt

 

a loan would not reduce debts.

it would add to them.

 

RE: To be fair

Its the 'people like you' bit I particularly resent. People like me would presumably mean all season ticket holders. According to this, we're not entitled to an opinion as we're 'outside the game'.

However, for me, it just re-treads over old ground. It doesn't cover why the decision, if made already, was delayed until after the Sheff Wed game (presumably hoping to be announced on the back of a win).

The points per game thing has been discussed previously so I won't re-tread old ground there, but its an extremely short-sighted view to take, IMO.

I just don't like the whole tone of the letter. He hadn't explained anything 'to the point of boredom' at the time I wrote to the Club and to start on such a defensive tone got my back up immediately. The subequent 'people like you' things only wound me up even more.

I just don't think its a very constructive way to try and get critics back 'on side'.

 

RE: To be fair

and, he's says annual losses, not reduction in debts.

therefore, we are losing over 3 million less than we were before.

or, another way, we have to make 180k a year more to start making a profit.

thats as i understand that comment anyways.

 

He makes some valid points ..... but ........

....... if I was you I would be upset by the tone and derogatory remarks he makes

..... "explained to the point of boredom" ...... "someone like you" ..... "people like you" ...... "why on earth people who are outside the game believe that they know best is astonishing in the least" ..........

It's a disgrace actually that the chairman of a football club can answer a letter from a supporter in that manner, there really is no need to resort to that level of communication, he should be bigger and better than that.

 

you should be pleased with that response...

GS took a lot of time to answer your points (even if you don't agree with him). Just a couple of patronising comments and one arrogant last half-sentence. That was fair enough considering what he was responding to.

anyhow.... bring on the Spurs

 

RE: i'd only have issue with this bit..

wasnt he a member of the board for a couple of years before he was chairman

does anyone else remember when shep used to post on this bored, and i remember him posting something about teh reason PR left was because he wouldnt show the board, the other directors, any of the accounts, therefore they couldnt influence the situation, and when PR finally left, the accounts were in a far worse state than the directors were led to believe?

anyone else remember?